The alternate proposal is supported by the alternate name for Ayyappan being Sastava Sasta, Sashta, Sastra, a Vedic term that also means Teacher, Guide, Lord, Ruler. The alternate theory links it to the Malayali word acchan and Tamil word appa which means father, with Ayyappan connoting Lord-father. Ayyappa swamy the name God Ayyappan sometimes spelled as Ayyappa or Aiyappan അയ്യപ്പൻ may be related to the similar sounding ancient term Arya.
